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Figuring out how to pay for abortion care can be a critical issue. Many people must navigate a patchwork approach to pulling together funds.

Important questions to consider

What is the cost for a procedure at gestational age of the pregnancy? (Abortions at later gestational ages are more expensive.)

Does the person have insurance? Will her plan cover the procedure? Does she need to obtain a referral? Is her abortion provider within her insurance network, if she has one? Does the person wish to have a record of her procedure with her insurance company?

If she must pay out of pocket, are there funds available for financial assistance?

Paying for Abortion

First trimester procedures (up to 13 weeks) cost approximately $450.

Medication abortion (up to 9 to 10 weeks) costs approxiamtely $390.

Second trimester procedures (13 weeks up to approximately 24 weeks in Illinois) can cost approximately $1,500. 1,2,3

Does insurance cover an abortion?

Private insurance

64% of plans cover abortion, check with insurance provider.

Illinois Medicaid coverage

Abortion must be “medically necessary” or following sexual assault or incest and the provider must accept Medicaid; talk to health provider.

Federal or state employee

Abortion is not covered except in cases of sexual assault, incest or a threat to the life or health of the pregnant woman.

Women often pay out-of-pocket

In a recent survey of people obtaining abortions across the United States, including in Illinois, the majority had some form of health insurance, but less than a quarter of those with insurance used it to pay for abortion care. The most common reason individuals were not using private insurance was because it did not cover the procedure, or they were unsure if it was covered. Among individuals who did not use insurance for their abortion, more than half found it difficult to pay for the procedure. One‐half of patients relied on someone else to help cover costs, most commonly the other person involved in the pregnancy. Most people incurred additional expenses in the form of transportation (mean=$44), and a minority also reported lost wages (mean=$198), childcare (mean=$57) and other travel‐related costs (mean=$140). Some people also delayed or did not pay bills such as rent (14%), food (16%) or utilities and other bills (30%) in order to pay for the abortion.1

Research suggests that gathering funding to cover the cost of abortion and associated costs may result in delays in care.2,3

Financial Context

In addition, more than half of persons who obtained abortions in 2008 (57%) had experienced at least one disruptive life event during the 12 months preceding the abortion, and a higher proportion of poor women (63%) than better-off individuals (49%) reported such events. Most commonly, those who had abortions reported having experienced unemployment (20%), separation from a partner (16%), falling behind on rent or mortgage (14%) or having moved multiple times (12%).4